So What's It Like?
by Blue Cinder
Summary: Stiles and Derek have been dating for a while now and it wasn't supposed to be that big of a deal right? So why was everyone asking him what it was like to date Derek Hale?


When Stiles and Derek first started dating, or revealed they were dating is the right phrase, Stiles didn't think it would be a big deal. Sure, he knew it would raise some eyebrows, start conversations… and alright, he knew it would be a big deal.

A big deal to the pack, a big deal to his dad, and basically the whole town he supposed. But it shouldn't have been a big deal, right? Because this was two years worth of mutual (as Derek had reassured him) pining. If Stiles thought he was oblivious, how could the werewolves in his life claim to have heightened sense when they didn't even know?

So yeah, it was a big deal. A big enough deal to where everyone was asking about his relationship with Derek and what Derek was really like? That came as a surprise.

If he was being honest, Stiles could see why. For the most part, Derek didn't change the way he acted around Stiles, at least not in front of the others. Stiles always initiated PDA when they were with the pack or in public. He would worm his way under Derek's arm after their most recent battle with the supernatural, he would snatch Derek's hand into his any chance he got, and he would start every kiss they ever shared.

Stiles didn't mind all this, not at all. Derek was allowed to be weary of a relationship when all his past ones had ended in disaster. Derek was allowed to be uncomfortable starting PDA because he had an image to keep up with his pack; he was still their intimidating alpha. Stiles understood all these things because Derek was his boyfriend and their relationship was their business. Derek was a different person when they were alone; he was sweet and cuddly and considerate and literally the best boyfriend in the world.

It wasn't as if Derek was rude to Stiles when they were in public. He never turned away from a kiss or a chance to keep Stiles close to him. Of course, his signature scowl was always present, but Stiles considered himself an expert at reading Derek and he knew when Derek was truly upset. He was never bothered when Stiles rambled on and on or when he practically crawled all over Derek during pack movie nights. Stiles knew all this and it was his mistake for thinking others did too.

Imagine his surprise when Lydia asked him, "So what's it really like dating Derek Hale?"

Stiles sat with wide eyes and fries hanging out of his mouth until Lydia complained about how disgusting it was. "What do you mean 'what's it like?'"

"I mean," Lydia rolled her eyes as if he was the stupid one here, "what is it like? I mean Derek isn't the most open person in the world. How do you manage?"

"I'm going to be honest with you, I have no idea what you mean." Because to Stiles, Derek was one of the most open people he knew. Derek trusted him with his past and emotions; Derek hadn't let someone in like that in far too long.

Lydia sighed before dropping it altogether and asking him how school was going. So Stiles forgot about it, once again, his mistake.

This time it was Scott after Derek had dropped him off at Scott's house because Stiles' jeep was in the shop again…

Derek had huffed at him about his piece of crap car and how he should just put it out of its misery. Stiles pouted the whole time, but knew Derek didn't really mean it, especially not when there's enough room in the back for him and Derek to have some sexy forest times. So when Stiles kissed Derek goodbye and all Derek did was scowl, Scott didn't get it. He didn't see the playful twitch of Derek's lip or the lack of the crease in Derek's forehead that only showed itself when he was really mad.

As Scott and Stiles were settling in for six hours of straight up video games, Scott asked, "Is that what it's like?"

Stiles furrowed his eyebrows and fiddled with the controller in his hand, wondering why it wouldn't turn on. "Is that what what's like?"

"Dating Derek."

Stiles dropped the controller at that point because isn't that what Lydia had asked him two weeks ago? "What do you mean by that?"

Scott huffed in annoyance. "I mean, I get that he's moody, but does he always treat you like that?"

"He didn't treat me like anything!" While Stiles was annoyed by the question, he was more annoyed by the insinuation that Derek treated him badly because Derek did not treat him badly.

"Stiles, he was bitching at you the whole time! And you were just sitting their taking it!" Scott shouted and Stiles was done with this conversation. He quickly gathered his things while Scott babbled out where he was going and what he was doing.

"Don't expect me to sit here and let you judge my relationship when you don't know shit!" And Stiles had stormed out of the McCall house, walking the block to his dad's and texting Derek to pick him up there instead.

And then three weeks later, it was the last straw. He was grocery shopping with Derek because pack night was tomorrow and they didn't have nearly enough food to feed everyone.

Derek hated grocery shopping, if Derek can get everything delivered to his house he would because everyone seemed to stare at him as he walked by. They looked at him and saw his burnt down house, his sister's body being dug up, and now that he was dating Stiles, all they saw was a broken man taking advantage of the sheriff's son. He hated it.

However, Stiles always had a way with Derek. Of course he did, Derek was his boyfriend. So Stiles claimed he couldn't carry everything alone, which was true. He claimed he would get too distracted, which was true. He claimed he would miss Derek, which was very trust and that was what broke Derek.

They had mostly finished all their shopping when Stiles realized he had forgotten cookie dough because he couldn't be bothered to bake, from scratch, over 100 cookies for the pack. He politely asked Derek to run back and get it, pressing a sweet kiss to his cheek while Derek huffed but went off. Stiles beamed and quickly loaded the conveyor belt with their things. He was standing in front of the cashier, looking for Derek's credit card in his wallet when she spoke up.

"Must be tough being with him, what's it like?" Stiles head shot up because now this was a pattern.

"What?"

The cashier was so casual, scanning his four gallons of milk like nothing. "I mean, he's pretty messed up. Everyone knows what happened to him and he didn't seem to handle it well. How do you do it?"

And Stiles was fed up. He hated this question. He hated the implication behind it. The implication that Derek wasn't a good boyfriend because Stiles knew better. If people didn't know anything about Derek or his relationship with Stiles, they didn't need to know. They didn't need to get it because Stiles did.

"I don't mean to be rude, but I'm going to be. You don't get to ask me about my relationship when you don't know anything about us. You don't get to criticize him because you think you know something because you don't know anything. And if you're trying to imply that he's a bad boyfriend, you're out of your goddamn mind trying to rope me into it. He's a great boyfriend! He's an amazing boyfriend even and just because you don't get him or me or our relationship doesn't mean you get to patronize it. So please hurry up and bag my things so I don't have to look at your face anymore."

Derek returned with enough cookie dough to feed a small country and could smell the angry and embarrassment rolling from his aisle. At first he thought Stiles had done something to offend the cashier because it hadn't been the first time, but upon closer inspection he found it was the other way around.

Stiles was practically twitching with anger and the cashier was trying to scan as quickly as possible so she wouldn't be under his intense glare. Derek carefully put the cookie dough down before placing a gentle hand on the small of Stiles' back and could feel him relax almost instantly. Derek knew now wasn't the right time to bring it up so he would wait until they got home, their home.

They had just put everything away for tomorrow when Stiles threw himself onto their couch and Derek figured it was now or never.

"You wanna tell me why you smell so bad or am I supposed to guess?" Derek started and while he knew it sounded insensitive, he didn't doubt his boyfriend would understand.

Stiles groaned before making grabby hands at Derek and Derek couldn't help the smile that crawled onto his lips at his boyfriend's childish behavior. He appeased Stiles' need for attention and let him crawl into his favorite spot on Derek's lap.

Derek let Stiles sit in silence for a while. He let Stiles trace patterns onto his chest and let Stiles breath into his neck as if he was scenting Derek and let Stiles nuzzle his cheek into Derek's shoulder for comfort.

"People keep asking me what it's like to date you," Stiles stated as if that would help Derek understand.

"Okay, what do you say?"

"I don't say anything!" Stiles huffed. "They ask like they're shocked I'm with you or that you're- you're-"

"I'm a bad partner?" And immediately Stiles sat up in Derek's lap and grabbed his face.

"But you're not! You're not a bad partner. You're the best partner in the whole world and I don't get it," Derek tried to soothe Stiles by stroking his sides gently and pressing a soft kiss to Stiles' cheek. "At first, Lydia said you weren't an open person and I guess I understood that because the pack didn't really see you open up to me. And that's fine! I like keeping that part of you to myself."

Derek smiled softly at Stiles' words, but didn't dare interrupt him just yet. It was sweet to hear Stiles speak like this. No, Stiles wasn't shy about his feelings for Derek, but it didn't matter how many times Stiles said it, Derek couldn't believe he meant it.

"And then Scott! Excuse my language, but fuck Scott! He didn't even imply, he just assumed and believed! It was that day when the jeep took a dump and you were huffing about it, but I knew you were kidding and you were more worried than anything! But Scott assumed you were just verbally abusing me or something and I was just sitting there like some kind of sub!" And Derek had to huff out a slight laugh at that even though one of his betas just implied that he would or could hurt his mate in anyway.

"It was Scott so I basically told him to fuck off because he didn't know you like I do! Finally today I couldn't take it anymore because at least Scott and Lydia know you. At least they're pack and they mean the best no matter how demented, but that cashier didn't even know us! She asked me when it was like to date you when you were so messed up!"

Now that caught Derek's attention because he was messed up. There was no if, and, or buts. He was messed up and would probably always be messed up. He felt Stiles rub the crease from his forehead.

"Put your angry forehead crease away. I'm not done yet," that statement brought a small smile to Derek's face and he let Stile continue, but not before he pressed a quick kiss to Stiles' forehead.

"I got so mad and I told her off. Made a big scene in our local and only grocery store. I'm just sick of people acting like they know anything about our relationship or even knows you for that matter! No one knows you in this town so what right do they have judging us!" A final huff escaped Stiles mouth before he rested his forehead against Derek's.

There was something about this speech that Stiles made that left Derek speechless, not that he was ever a man of many words. Stiles had just discovered he was the only person that got Derek and everyone else in town were assholes. He wasn't wrong and Derek had always known this. Nobody cared about Derek Hale, all they cared about was the Hale fire. They didn't care about Derek's favorite food or his worst nightmare. All they cared about was good drama and Derek hated that Stiles had to go through it alone. He hated that Stiles had waited so long to tell Derek, even though he couldn't fault him for it when Stiles didn't really know what was happening.

"You're cute and I love you," Stiles snapped his eyes open at Derek's statement and was met with the cheesiest smile he's ever seen.

Stiles narrowed his eyes, "If anyone is being cute it's you, why are you being cute right now? Also ignore my squinty eyes while I say this, I love you too."

Derek chuckled at Stiles and pecked his lips, quick so Stiles wouldn't try to deepen it when Derek had something to say.

"It's okay if people don't get us because we shouldn't work," Stiles narrowed his eyes even more at that statement because while true, he didn't like how it sounded. "You're far too charming and energetic to be with me who hardly says more than 100 words per day."

"That's not true," Stiles huffed. "We talk all the time, all night even!"

"Let me finish," Derek rolled his eyes at Stiles' pout, but playfully pinched his hip to make it go away. "I'm not a PDA guy, I won't reach for your hand or pull you closer, but I don't when you do it. I love it, even."

Stiles blushed at that because even though he knew it, hearing Derek say it was different. Derek was a man of action and whenever he used his words Stiles hung onto every single one of them.

"People can assume or judge all they want because only you and I know what our relationship is, okay? This is ours," Derek put a hand on the back of Stiles neck and brought him closer again. "Ours, okay?"

At this point, Stiles whole face felt red hot and he wasn't sure when his boyfriend came so smooth. "Ours."

Derek smiled in that way his eyes crinkled and lit up like a million stars lived in them. Derek's thumb slid over Stiles' lips before he pulled Stiles in for a kiss, not nearly as fast as their last one. It was slow and sweet and everything Stiles knew their relationship was. Derek's hand moved from the back of his neck to his hip where the other rested and Stiles' moved his into Derek's hair. As much as Derek hated the dog jokes, he had to admit having Stiles run his fingers through Derek's hair was amazing.

Stiles learned to ignore everyone's judgements and stares. He also learned not to snap at people even though that was a long process that Derek found far too amusing.

He ignored because this was theirs. No one got to know that Derek was an aggressive cuddler who couldn't fall asleep without Stiles next to him. No one got to know that every morning when Stiles would make breakfast, Derek would snake his arms around his waist and rest his chin on Stiles' shoulder. No got to know about all the days they didn't leave their bed because being an inch away from each other felt too far. No one got to know the Derek he got to know because that was his, theirs.

Because loving Derek Hale was all the best things in the world. That's what it was like.


End file.
